A spectator at PNC Park in Pittsburgh fell from the stands in right center field onto the field of play in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday night as the Pirates hosted the Chicago Cubs.
Play was stopped for several minutes as the fan was attended to by medical personnel. The fan was eventually carted off the field.
The Pirates released a statement on the incident after the game.
"Tonight, during the seventh inning of the game at PNC Park, an adult male fell from the right field bleachers onto the field of play,” the statement read. “Pittsburgh EMS, as well as the Pirates and Cubs athletic training teams and other PNC Park personnel reacted and responded immediately and administered care. He was transported to Allegheny General Hospital. No further information is available at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family."
Ezri Konsa has been linked with a move away from Aston Villa, with Liverpool keen on him, and now a fresh update has emerged regarding his future.
The 28-year-old has matured into such an important player for the Villans, becoming a key starter and coming right into the prime years of his career.
In fact, Konsa will even be hoping of starting for England at the 2026 World Cup, with he and John Stones likely to battle to play alongside Marc Guehi in the right-sided centre-back spot for the Three Lions.
Worryingly, the Englishman has been linked with various clubs in recent weeks and months, with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City mentioned as potential options for him.
Konsa isn’t out of contract at Villa until the summer of 2028, and now a new update has dropped regarding his future at the Premier League club.
Key latest on Konsa's Aston Villa future
Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown claimed that Aston Villa won’t even entertain the idea of allowing Konsa to leave in the near future, with the player himself happy at the club.
“Aston Villa have been an example in recent years of how to build a team. It’s a testament to Villa’s recruitment that so many of their best players are attracting interest. The players they’ve brought in, like Konsa and Rogers for example, have reached new levels since they arrived and proved to be very important players for them.
Ezri Konsa
“So Konsa, for example, has impressed at Villa and got himself into the England team. That only invites more interest, because he’s playing on a bigger stage, attracting more eyes on his performances, and that leads to more speculation. So Villa then have a hell of a job behind the scenes trying to keep him at the club.
“From what I’m told, they’re not massively concerned about his future, because by all accounts he’s happy at Villa and he’s been a crucial part of their success. Emery has no plans to let him go because of how important he is to Villa, and I think Villa will be confident that they can keep him. Even with teams like Liverpool or Chelsea looking at him, that won’t chance Villa’s position.”
Appearances
8
Starts
8
Minutes played
696
Clearances per game
3.4
Aerial duel wins per game
1.1
Pass completion rate
95.7%
Goals
0
Assists
0
This will come as a relief to Villa supporters, with Konsa arguably now one of the first names on Unai Emery’s team sheet, recently being hailed as “excellent” by Troy Deeney.
Aston Villa now join race to sign "insane" £35m former Bayern Munich striker
The Villans are looking to sign a centre-forward, with Unai Emery keen on greater strength in depth in attack.
ByDominic Lund Oct 28, 2025
As mentioned, he now feels like he is at his peak, which should remain the same for another three or four years or so, and if Villa are to continue heading in the right direction, they cannot afford to sell their best players to teams who are higher than they are in the table.
Liverpool learn true price for Ezri Konsa as PSR forces Aston Villa's hand
Lucas Veríssimo, zagueiro do Corithians, criticou o pênalti marcado para o Santos nos acréscimos da segunda etapa. Em entrevista após o empate em 1 a 1, o camisa três disse que conhece o Soteldo dos tempos de Peixe, e que Daronco, árbitro do duelo, “deve ter ido na dele”.
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– Conheço o Soteldo, sei da jogada dele, esses toques curtos. Acredito que ele deu uma cavada e infelizmente o Daronco deve ter ido na dele – disse o zagueiro.
Nos minutos finais, Soteldo, pelo lado esquerdo do campo, partiu para cima de Bruno Méndez, que derrubou o atacante dentro da área. Depois de muita reclamação por parte dos jogadores do Peixe, Daronco foi ao VAR e assinalou penalidade máxima. Mendoza cobrou e igualou o placar.
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O zagueiro elogiou a postura do Timão durante a partida, principalmente na primeira etapa, mas lamentou as chances perdidas pela equipe ao longo dos noventa minutos.
– A gente viu o lance com o Daronco no telão… Acredito que não tenha sido pênalti, depois vou ver com calma. Fizemos uma boa partida, um grande primeiro tempo, mas perdemos muitas chances, precisamos converter elas. Lamentamos o empate, mas tenho certeza que a equipe vai crescer e sair dessa zona desconfortável – finalizou Veríssimo.
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Com o empate, o Corinthians permaneceu na décima quarta colocação, com 37 pontos conquistados. Na próxima rodada, a equipe do Parque São Jorge encara o Athletico, na quarta-feira (1º), em Itaquera.
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez faces a major selection dilemma as Portugal heads into decisive 2026 World Cup qualifiers without injured star Nuno Mendes, a player the coach calls "the best in the world". With the Paris Saint-Germain full-back sidelined, Martinez admits there’s “no natural replacement” and turns to Diogo Dalot and Joao Cancelo to fill the void.
Roberto Martinez calls Nuno Mendes irreplaceable
Mendes suffered a left knee sprain during PSG’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich in midweek, ruling him out for two crucial international fixtures. The 22-year-old has been central to Portugal’s defensive structure, combining pace, defensive stability and an ability to drive attacks down the left flank.
“My assessment of Nuno Mendes is subjective, he’s like a son,” Martinez said. “There’s no other left-back who can defend one-on-one, make overlapping runs, and play inside or outside with the ball. He's a complete player, he can play centre-back. He's a decisive player for his club and for me, right now, he's the best in the world. Other coaches don't have to agree with me."
With Nuno Tavares also sidelined, the absence leaves Portugal without a natural left-back, forcing Martinez to turn to tactical adjustments and versatile defenders.
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Martinez calls Dalot and Cancelo to share the load
To address the gap, Martinez is expected to deploy Dalot and Cancelo in hybrid full-back roles. Dalot, thriving at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, has evolved into a reliable two-way defender known for his composure, fitness and ability to play on either flank. Dalot was earlier the go-to left-back for Portugal but has since dropped in the pecking order with a loss in form and Mendes rise at PSG last year. Dalot has played 32 matches for Portugal across all competitions.
Cancelo, meanwhile, offers Portugal creative flair and width. A natural right-back at Al-Hilal, he often drifts inside to dictate play, operating almost like a midfielder. While his offensive instincts differ from Mendes’ balanced profile, Cancelo’s experience and versatility make him vital to Portugal’s adaptability. Cancelo has played 62 games for Portugal across all competitions and has also scored two goals in the competition.
“We need to find solutions, to find balance on the wing, with Cancelo and Dalot,” Martinez explained. “We need to build on the chemistry we already have, there’s no time for drastic experiments before two important games.”
Portugal will miss Mendes' impact
Before his injury, Mendes had been a cornerstone of Portugal’s qualifying campaign. Featuring in all six matches, he provided crucial defensive stability and attacking thrust. His pinpoint assist to Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2-2 draw against Hungary not only saved a point but also helped the forward set the record for most goals in World Cup qualifying history with 41 goals.
Mendes’ influence extended beyond numbers. His pace in recovery, ability to overlap in transition, and composure under pressure have been essential to Martínez’s system. Portugal have yet to lose with Mendes on the pitch in these qualifiers, which speaks volume about why the manager didn't really have to bother with an alternative in that space.
His injury arrives at a delicate moment, with Portugal needing positive results against Ireland and Armenia to secure top spot and automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
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Portugal’s road to qualification and the test ahead
Portugal enters the final stage of World Cup qualifying unbeaten, with four wins and two draws from six games. They top Group F with 10 points, comfortably ahead of their nearest rivals Hungary. Ronaldo continues to lead by example being their top-scorer in the competition with five goals.
Despite their strong position, Martinez acknowledges the challenge ahead: “We must adapt quickly and stay focused. Every player knows their role, we can’t depend on one individual, no matter how special he is.”
As the team faces Ireland in Dublin on November 13 and Armenia on November 15 in Porto, Portugal’s depth and resilience will be tested. All eyes will be on Dalot and Cancelo to maintain Mendes’ standards, ensuring Portugal’s fluid wing play and defensive strength remain intact.
Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals won the title, winning the final by six wickets at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2025Shreyas Iyer’s SoBo Mumbai Falcons fell short in the Mumbai T20 League final on Thursday, edged out by the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals at the Wankhede Stadium. This marked back-to-back defeats for Iyer as captain of a T20 side, coming as it did within ten days of Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the title clash of IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad.Iyer himself scored just 12 off 17 as SoBo made 157 after being put in to bat. Maratha Royals, led by Siddhesh Lad, achieved the target with four balls to spare and six wickets in hand. Iyer ended the tournament with just 62 runs in five innings, with a best of 25.”Don’t want to pinpoint any incident – overall, the boys were brilliant with their effort,” Iyer said after the final. “We just lost one game en route to the final. Just a one-off game, where you can’t single out anyone. It’s basically backstabbing [if you criticise someone], and I don’t enjoy that.”It’s pretty common to feel dejected after a final loss. It must hurt [the players]. But when they come back next year, they’ll have that extra motivation and confidence. They should be proud of their effort.”Iyer has had an excellent and highly successful time as captain. Before making the IPL 2025 final and the Mumbai T20 League final, he had led Kolkata Knight Riders to their first IPL title in a decade in 2024, and also guided Mumbai to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was part of Mumbai’s triumphant campaigns in both the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 and the subsequent Irani Cup, and in March this year, he played a pivotal role in India’s successful run to the Champions Trophy title.
Arsenal have had a testing and trialling start to the new season. They’ve already visited Old Trafford, Anfield and St James’ Park. They’ve also faced Manchester City. Therefore, to come away with 13 points from their opening six matches isn’t bad at all.
They’ve spent most of the campaign watching Liverpool come up with late goals. The Reds have galloped to the top of the Premier League by scoring late goals aplenty. It was in the 83rd minute that they scored the winner against Arsenal while against Burnley and Newcastle, they left it until injury time.
Well, in response, Mikel Arteta’s men have delivered late drama themselves. They needed Gabriel Martinelli’s injury-time equaliser a week ago and against Newcastle on Tyneside, it required an 84th-minute header from Mikel Merino and another header from Gabriel Magalhaes in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
It was dramatic, it was chaotic, but for Arsenal, it was oh so lovely.
Merino and Gabriel were the heroes but a special mention must go Declan Rice’s way for the manner in which he helped power the away side to victory.
Declan Rice's performance vs Newcastle in numbers
Towards the end of last season, Rice firmly established himself as one of the finest midfielders in Europe.
That stunning pair of free-kicks against Real Madrid put him on the map, with Rio Ferdinand remarking that the England star was one of the finest players on the park.
In comparison, the former West Ham star has had a slower start to 2025/26 but he’s beginning to motor now, really proving that in Sunday’s win over Newcastle.
Truth be told, Rice was playing far too deep in the opening 45 minutes of the game but as he began to move further forward in the second period, he came alive.
It was Rice’s perfectly weighted delivery from the left-hand side that led to the Gunners’ equaliser, playing the ball into Merino who glanced home.
The club-record signing’s display was much more than just that assist, however.
Indeed, it was a display in which he showcased why he is “one of the best midfielders in world football” in the words of analyst Raj Chohan.
Throughout his 90 minutes on the field, the 26-year-old did it all, completing 88% of his passes and amassing 104 touches. He also completed three key passes and won seven of his nine duels.
It was an imperious performance from Rice, a player who is perhaps proving to be the club’s most complete midfielder since the days of Patrick Vieira.
He’s not the only one evoking memories of the great Frenchman, though.
Arsenal's "colossal" star is showing shades of Patrick Vieira
Rice has continued to prove that he’s one of the most important players in the squad. He’s also demonstrated why he’s one of the most clutch players at Arteta’s disposal. He simply comes alive in the big moments and in the big games.
Another player who embodies that is Gabriel. The Brazilian has been an enormous part of Arsenal’s rise during Arteta’s reign and nothing summed up his time at the club more than Sunday’s win against Newcastle.
It actually didn’t start particularly well for the central defender, who was certainly at blame for the game’s opening goal.
The ball was swung in toward the Toon’s towering striker, Nick Woltemade. The German gently leaned on Gabriel who, instead of challenging for the ball, threw himself to the floor in a wildly embarrassing moment.
However, Gabriel responded emphatically with a phenomenal second-half performance, in particular, that culminated in the game’s winning goal.
While the centre-back’s late header sparked pandemonium among the Arsenal players and staff, it was certainly no surprise that he popped up when he did.
After all, like Rice, like Vieira 20 odd years ago, Gabriel is one of the most clutch players we’ve seen at the club. He’s scored 18 Premier League goals, at least six more than any other defender since he made his English top-flight debut back in September 2020.
Like Vieira he’s a warrior, a leader, a titan and a gladiator amongst men. In the words of Statman Dave, via X, his display against Newcastle was “colossal”.
Gabriel vs Newcastle
Minutes played
90
Touches
81
Accurate passes
51/60 (85%)
Clearances
9
Blocks
2
Interceptions
3
Tackles
3
Ground duels won
4/4
Aerial duels won
7/11
Stats via Sofascore.
Woltemade goal aside, it certainly was sublime. Gabriel won more duels (11), made more clearances (9) and won more aerial battles (7) than any other Arsenal player at St James’ Park.
Meanwhile, no player in red or white made more than the defender’s three tackles and three interceptions.
While it would have been easy for the 27-year-old to get carried away after being bundled over easily for the opener, the way in which he bounced back was characteristic of the way he plays his football.
Like Rice, he’s Vieira-esque, a warrior with the heart of a lion, somebody you can never write off. If Arsenal win the league come May, then Gabriel will have had a huge say in that triumph.
Arteta must drop Arsenal star who's been their "Player of the Season"
Arsenal sealed a remarkable late win over Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Fast bowler available for next two Championship matches as cover for Anderson and Mahmood
ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-2025John Turner, the Hampshire and England fast bowler, has joined Lancashire on a short-term loan for the next two Rothesay County Championship matches, as cover for the injured James Anderson and Saqib Mahmood.Turner, who turned 24 on Thursday, is considered one of the most promising fast bowlers in the country, and last year made his England white-ball debut on the tour of West Indies in November, having been named in a number of squads since his breakthrough season in 2023.However, his opportunities at first-class level have been limited to date, partially through injury and partially due to the established quality of Hampshire’s pace attack, which continues to be led by Kyle Abbott, and had included Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas until his departure for Nottinghamshire this season.Last week, Hampshire handed a Championship debut to another rising fast bowler, Sonny Baker, 22, who had impressed in his maiden first-class appearance for England Lions against Australia A in Sydney in January.Turner himself has featured in five first-class matches to date, most recently in August 2024, in which he has claimed 14 wickets at 19.85. He will join Lancashire on an initial 14-day loan, covering the next two Championship fixtures including the visit of Northamptonshire on Friday.”I haven’t played a lot of first-class or red-ball cricket, particularly recently,” Turner told Lancs TV. “It’ll be a good opportunity to gain some experience, get a bit of a run out and contribute to Lancs winning some games hopefully, and just put some performances together.”At the club, Turner will also be re-united with Hampshire’s former head coach, Dale Benkenstein, who has been in charge at Lancashire since 2023.”He was my school coach in South Africa and he was the one who gave me the opportunity to come over to the UK,” Turner said. “That was with Hampshire and now we reconnect at Lancs.”Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s Director of Cricket Performance, said: “John is an exciting young bowler who is well regarded both domestically and by England at international level.”With Jimmy (Anderson) recovering from injury and Saqib (Mahmood) sticking to an agreed plan ahead of his return to red-ball cricket, John’s loan signing and immediate availability provides us with another bowling option for the next couple of matches in the Rothesay County Championship.”We are looking forward to seeing what he can bring to our side, and we hope that he can get some valuable red ball playing time and enjoy his spell with us here at Emirates Old Trafford.”
Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed that "there is no problem" between him and his Napoli head coach Antonio Conte. The former Manchester City midfielder expressed his anger after being taken off in the 72nd minute of Napoli's 2-1 loss to AC Milan over the weekend, prompting Conte to fire a warning and stating that "if he was upset about something else he's got the wrong person."
De Bruyne's midfield masterclass in the Champions League
Just days after being on the losing side in a 2-1 result against AC Milan, De Bruyne took matters into his own hands from midfield and teed up Rasmus Hojlund twice to help Napoli beat Sporting CP 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Belgian became only the sixth player in the competition's history – after Angel Di Maria, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane – to deliver two or more assists on at least five separate occasions.
AdvertisementAFPConte in no mood for tantrums
De Bruyne was substituted once again on Wednesday on the 81st minute mark. Over the weekend, the former Manchester City midfielder was brought off in the 72nd minute, much to his disappointment as he angrily gesticulated and expressed his disapproval of Conte's decision to take him off.
After the game, Conte delivered a strong message, emphasising that De Bruyne will need to accept his decisions moving forward. "I hope he was upset about the result because if he was upset about something else he's got the wrong person," said the Italian boss, even clarifying later by adding that "certain behaviours should be adopted" and that "those who don't know me make mistakes but it's up to me to correct the situation."
De Bruyne responds to Conte's warning
Speaking to after the win over Sporting, De Bruyne addressed rumours of a rift between him and the manager. "There's never been any problem with Conte. I'm a winner, I want to make a difference on the pitch," said the 34-year-old. "A lot has been said in recent days, but the truth is that there's no problem: I just want to play and have fun."
Conte, too, cleared the air from his side shortly afterward. "I have nothing to say to Kevin; he's a serious guy who works hard," said the former Chelsea and Juventus manager. "I understand that everyone wants to play, but I also want to win, and if I make a substitution, it's not to make things worse, but to bring home victories. Then again, I repeat, I want to win first; the team must work as a whole, no one excluded."
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AFPWhen does De Bruyne play next?
De Bruyne will be keen on adding to his tally of three goals and two assists this season when Napoli welcome Genoa on Sunday. It's a crucial game for Conte's troops as they wouldn't ideally want to head into the international break without maximum points.
Harry Kane scored his 100th goal for Bayern Munich in record quick time as Vincent Kompany's team eased to a 4-0 win over Werder Bremen. The England international brought up his century for the Bundesliga leaders with a brace to make him the fastest player in Europe's top five leagues to reach that milestone. And goals from Luiz Diaz and Konrad Laimer either side of his efforts sealed a thumping victory.
BAYERN EXTEND WINNING RUN
After winning seven matches in a row in all competitions, Bayern, naturally, began this fixture in confident fashion, and had it not been for an inspired display from Arsenal loanee Karl Hein, Bremen would have been cut adrift in the opening 45 minutes.
Kane uncharacteristically dragged a shot wide early on, but was then brilliantly denied by the Estonian stopper when the England captain was through on goal. He could do nothing, however, when the irrepressible Michael Olise fired in a teasing cross and Jonathan Tah's backward flick ricocheted off an unsuspecting Luis Diaz in the 22nd minute to make it 1-0.
Hein once again denied former Tottenham star Kane when he seemed certain to score, but he was unable to keep out the 32-year-old's penalty after Marco Freidl clumsily brought him down in the box on the stroke of half-time. The visitors fired a warning shot of their own when full-back Yukinari Sugawara stung the hands of Manuel Neuer from a tight angle but in the 66th minute, it was 3-0 when Kane swept the ball home after Diaz's shot from the edge of the area was blocked.
The away team thought they pulled a goal back through Wisdom Mike but the forward was adjudged to have been offside, and then to make matters worse, Konrad Laimer danced past a challenge and scored from a tight angle three minutes from time.
This was a night to remember for Bayern as they went five points clear at the top of the table and Kane made history with his 100th goal for the club in record time.
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THE MVP
While former Crystal Palace star Olise looked the most dangerous and exciting player on the pitch, it was Kane's goals that ultimately got the job done. On another day, the Bayern striker could have had five of them, had it not been for the excellent Hein, but a 10th of the league season may keep him content for now. With this double, the forward took his tally for the campaign as a whole to 15 in just eight appearances in all competitions.
Incidentally, before the game, manager Kompany explained how Kane has taken his game to the next level.
"Harry Kane has always been a goalscorer, but I think he has opened up his game even more! The way he drops back, gets between the lines. In the end, that allows him to escape the attention of defenders," he said.
THE BIG LOSER
While Bremen were always likely to lose this game, especially after going behind through Diaz, captain Friedl may have put the game out of reach for his side with his sloppy foul on Kane. The England ace wasn't in a particularly threatening position, even for a player of his quality, but the 27-year-old stuck out a lazy leg, and Kane duly went over it to win the penalty. A comeback never looked likely and Bayern scored two more to romp to victory. But it could have, potentially, been a different story if Friedl had shown a bit more defensive care.
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WHAT COMES NEXT?
Bayern – who are five points ahead of second place Borussia Dortmund, although BVB do have a game in hand – take a break from the Bundesliga on Tuesday when they travel to Cypriot side Pafos in their next Champions League game. After beating Chelsea 3-1 in their league phase opener, Kompany's players will hope to build on that impressive victory when they head to Cyprus. After that, they return to the German top flight for a tricky game against Eintracht Frankfurt on October 4, in what is their last game before the latest international break.
Manchester United’s new signing Benjamin Sesko has been compared to Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, with one of his former coaches, Rene Aufhauser, insisting the Slovenian is already close to that elite level. Sesko, who joined from RB Leipzig after interest from Newcastle and Arsenal, has been tipped to reach the very top thanks to his mix of physical presence, speed and technical ability.
Sesko compared to Haaland by former Salzburg coachUnited beat Arsenal and Newcastle to his signatureStriker tipped to become one of Europe’s best strikersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Sesko scored 39 goals in 87 games for RB Leipzig before sealing a move to Old Trafford this summer. Manchester United beat off strong competition for his signature, hoping he can become their long-term attacking leader. At 22, the 6ft 4in forward has drawn direct comparisons to Haaland for his power, pace and aerial threat, and Aufhauser, who has coached both strikers, believes that Sesko can reach the levels Haaland has shown.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT AUFHAUSER SAID
Speaking to Sky Sports, Aufhauser said: Rene Aufhauser, who previously coached both Haaland and Sesko at Salzburg, said: “Erling Haaland, I will rate him 10 out of 10.
"I think Erling is [an] outstanding striker, and Benji, I think at the moment, maybe he's a nine, nine and a half out of 10. And he has also potential. He will develop in the next one and two years, I'm sure.
"Erling reached his mark after his transfer from Dortmund to Man City and we will see. I am quite sure Benji will reach this mark after one or two years. But of course, Erling is the top. He has 10 out of 10 from me.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Sesko’s move gives United the kind of physical striker they have been missing in recent years. While comparisons with Haaland are inevitable, the Slovenian’s technical skillset and ability to link play could offer Ruben Amorim a different type of weapon. If Sesko adapts quickly, United could finally have the clinical presence they have craved since the days of Robin van Persie.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SESKO?
Sesko will be under immediate pressure to hit the ground running in the Premier League. His debut season will likely be judged against Haaland’s remarkable impact at Manchester City, but United will be patient as he adjusts.